Royalty's Cruel Hand
by RussleKun
Summary: Ooookay. Hideyoshi is a greedy man. In this fic he is at least. And he preys upon Kanon. Since I suck at summaries, I'll just let you guys read to find out. "
1. Serving Hideyoshisan

A/N: Absolutely NO. YAOI. I am going to fix that. GeorgeXKanon. Rape. Etc. Don't like, don't read.

**~Kanon knocked gently on the door of Hideyoshi's room. "Come in," he heard the man say. **

**Obediently, he walked into the room. Kanon walked the cart of food in, slowly closing the door behind him. "You called for me, Hideyoshi-san?" he questioned softly. **

**He nodded once, sitting down in a chair behind his desk. "Yes, thank you for coming. Come over and serve me, if you would," he said slowly.**

**Kanon blinked once slowly, but walked over gradually, pushing the cart in front of him and stopping at the side of Hideyoshi's desk. "Good. Now," he paused, pulling away from his desk. "Serve me," he said, pulling and pushing the raven to his knees. **

**Kanon blinked in confusion. His eyes widened and he barely blushed when Hideyoshi pulled down his pants and boxers just passed his now obvious erection. Blinking, Kanon looked up at him with doubtful eyes. "Don't just sit there staring. Start sucking," he said, wrapping his hand around the back of Kanon's head and pressing forcing him to swallow him whole.**

**An audible groan was heard from Hideyoshi. Kanon tried to pull back, disliking the taste immediately. His head was forced back down, then up slightly, down again. Muffled cries of protest sounded through Kanon's currently stuffed mouth. His hands pushed against Hideyoshi's thighs in a failed attempt to escape. **

"**Stupid brat. Stop struggling so much. You're just furniture after all," he groaned slightly, pushing Kanon's head down until his lips met the base. **

**Kanon gagged slightly, choking and pulling back up slowly. He wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve as semen dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Now, again without so much force," he said. "You're a servant, I expect you to act like one," he said.**

**Biting his lip, he looked away. "Do it," came another growl from Hideyoshi.**

**Flushed in the slightest bit, he whimpered slightly before giving a timid lick to the tip of Hideyoshi's cock. He made a face of discomfort, but continued licking the tip with his tongue, then started sucking lightly. He felt his hair being grabbed and pulled slightly in Hideyoshi's hands. Once again, his head was forced down on the length until his lips hit the base.**

**~ "Good boy. Now leave. I'm going to enjoy my meal now," Hideyoshi said.**

**Kanon nodded slowly, gripping his arm with the opposite hand before walking out. He walked straight to the bathroom, collapsing onto his knees near one of the toilets. A single finger made it's way gradually down his throat and he vomited, panting and sweating slightly. He closed his eyes, bowing his head slowly while letting loose a few coughs.**


	2. Cleaning

A/N: I'ma go ahead and keep writing…

**~As ordered, Kanon stepped into Hideyoshi-sans' office, slowly walking over. Grinning slightly, the older man grabbed his shoulder, pushing him front first into the desk. Kanon winced slightly, tensing as he felt a hand grab his butt, sliding up and down. He gripped the desk, feeling Hideyoshi's other hand tighten on his waist. **

**Kanon squeaked as his pants were pulled down and clenched his legs together. Hideyoshi grabbed the younger male's ass and spread them, pressing his erection against Kanon's entrance. His eyes widened, and he tensed while biting down on his lip. "No… please don't," he shivered slightly.**

**As Hideyoshi thrusted into him, he let out a loud, tortured cry. "I-it hurts!" he cried out, tears building in the corner of his eyes. Then there was a knock at the door, then a short, dramatic silence.**

"**Father, um, I'm coming in." **

**Kanon clenched his eyes shut, putting his head down. Hideyoshi pulled out of Kanon, pulling up his own pants. "Come in," he said, pushing Kanon down and away from the desk.**

**George walked in, then blinked, looking down at Kanon. Hot tears ran down his cheeks as he shook, coughing a few times. The older male walked over. "What happened?" he asked, placing his hands lightly on Kanon's shoulders. **

**The younger male flinched away from the touch, falling back and revealing slightly bare flesh. George's eyes widened slightly. He looked up at Hideyoshi in confusion before picking Kanon up and carrying him out the door silently.**

**~Kanon was shivering slightly, tense the entire time George was carrying him. George stopped and opened the door to his own room. He walked in, then stepped over to his bed and slowly set Kanon down. The younger winced slightly while being placed down. "It hurts," he accidentally let slip out.**

**He bit his lip slightly while clenching the sheets beneath his hands. George left, coming back with a wet cloth. "Kanon, put your legs up for me," he smiled. **

**Kanon tensed, looking up at him with doubtful eyes. He smiled warmly. "Don't worry," he said, slowly touching on of his feet and spreading his legs apart.**

**Flushing slightly, Kanon turned away, though didn't protest. He did, however, shudder slightly when his legs were spread apart. **

**George moved the cloth to Kanon's entrance, gently brushing the wet rag against it. Kanon arched in surprise. "What're you---ah, doing?" he asked, voice slightly strained.**

"**I'm cleaning," he replied, swirling it slightly. **

**Kanon covered his mouth, tossing his head back slightly. George took the cloth away before leaning down and giving the hole a quick lick. Kanon gasped, twisting his body slightly and looking at the other with surprise, biting down slightly on his hand. "G-George-sama? Wh-what are you doing?" he looked down at him with slightly squinted eyes, blushing slightly.**

"**I'm going to make you feel better," he replied, giving another lick, slightly longer than the last. Kanon arched, biting back a moan.**

"**Hnn~ G-George-sama… Please stop…" he whined, flushing heavily. **

**The older male took Kanon's member into his mouth, bobbing his head and sucking gently. Kanon gasped, arching and biting down on his thumb before tossing his head back, bucking into George's mouth.**

**George took him all in, deep-throating him slightly before pulling back a little bit. He ghosted his finger barely over Kanon's hole. He twitched slightly, grabbing and pulling the sheets above him. He pulled them up slightly, eyes squeezing shut.**

**Slowly, George took him into his mouth again. Again, Kanon gasped, arching and bucking as he came into the bigger male's mouth. Waiting a moment, George swallowed it all, then pulled back. He slowly sat up.**

**Kanon stared at him, then curled up. "S-sorry, George-sama…" he said quietly.**

**He flinched, shutting his eyes as George brought his hand down to caress his hair softly. His expression slowly soften as he feel into a deep sleep, still curled in a defensive position. He sighed contently in his sleep.**

**George smiled softly, then covered him with a blanket before standing and walking to the door. He looked back at Kanon, blinking, then left, locking the door behind him. **

**A/N: Of course, I'm not ending it here…**

**Also, sorry for these really short sissy chapters. Promise, next chapter will be twice as long. ;)  
**


	3. Rain

A/N: Hn Enjoy.

Kanon shifted some before sitting up in George's bed. He blinked groggily, looking around and yawning. "Where---" He cut himself off, eyes widening as he realized where he was.

He flushed deeply, looking down and standing slowly, wincing slightly at the pain in his butt. He gripped his hip, then slowly started making his way towards the door, only to have it open. He ran into George. "S-sorry," Kanon said softly.

George smiled, wrapping his arms around Kanon's shoulders. "You don't have to worry," he said, patting his back.

Kanon shuddered slightly at the touch, pulling away. "G-George-sama, sorry f-for occupying your room. I'll leave now," he said quietly.

"It's no problem, really. You can stay if you'd like."

Kanon shook slightly. "N-no, that's a-alright… I need t-to a-attend to m-my duties anyway," he said shakily, trying his hardest not to stutter.

George patted his back lightly. "Come back later, Kanon," he said before letting him go.

Kanon nodded slowly, wrapping his arms around himself while walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned his back against the door, unsure of whether or not to be scared to come back later.

Shaking his head free of the thoughts, he continued on his way, walking quickly down the hall and avoiding Hideyoshi's room out of complete fear. He really just tried to avoid people in general. However, girl's always like to be involved in things.

Jessica came walking by, a small amount of red tinting her cheeks in light shades. "H-hello, Kanon-kun," she said shyly, twirling her hair with her finger.

Kanon in an attempt to ignore her, continued walking passed. She blinked, turning and walking just behind him to the side. "Kanon-kun, please, will you speak with me?" she asked.

He sped up. She whimpered slightly, speeding up as well. "K-Kanon-kun!" she blurted.

Clenching his fists, he turned around. "What!?" he yelled.

She froze, shrinking back slightly. "I- um, I just wanted to know if you wanted to go for a walk with me around the house…" she said quietly, softly.

"No," he growled darkly before storming off.

She blinked, falling to the ground onto her knees. She hugged herself, sobbing silently.

Kanon caressed his own temples. It was a wet, murky day. He sat down on a rock on the top of a hill near the side of the water. He shivered slightly. "I hate this," he muttered to himself, completely blank as the clouds gathered overhead. "…But it doesn't matter… We're just furniture," he murmured softly, shaking violently.

He closed his eyes, if not for a moment's rest. His eyes opened quickly as he heard thunder clash from a distance. Kanon stood, then started pacing back to the mansion.

The boy was soaked with water by the time he got back to the mansion. He let out a small sneeze, the walked down the hall. He stopped in front of George's door, his face slightly flushed as he looked down at himself. 'I couldn't possibly show up at his door like this,' Kanon thought, wrapping his arms around his own waist.

Slowly and hesitantly, he reached out to knock on the door. George opened it seconds later and blinked. "Kanon, you're soaked," he said.

Kanon looked down. "I-I know… S-sorry," he murmured.

His eyes widened slightly as he felt a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He blinked, looking up at George. "You'll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes," he said, pulling him into his room.

Kanon flushed lightly, staying close to the door, though he did walk in. George walked away from him, then back over less than a minute later, removing the now wet blanket from Kanon who let it drop from his shoulders. Kanon looked up at him and blinked.

George only smiled, then slowly started removing the younger male's shirt. Kanon gasped slightly, pulling away out of instinct. "Uh, sorry," George murmured, his hands still on Kanon's shoulders.

The smaller sighed. "I-it's okay…" he murmured, recoiling from himself and letting George continued.

He smiled slightly at this, continuing the removal of Kanon's wet clothing. Kanon forced himself to stay still and not pull away from the touch. George wrapped a warm towel around Kanon, starting to rub his back with it. "Could you dry yourself off?" he questioned.

"Ah, yes…" Kanon replied, putting his head down and taking the towel.

George smiled, cupping the other's chin and lifting it up to face him, pressing a light kiss onto his lips. Kanon's eyes widened slightly, though he didn't pull away. He simply froze, unsure of what to do. George lightly pushed him back against the door, licking his bottom lip with his tongue. Kanon gasped slightly, eyes going hazy and falling half way shut, his mouth falling open as his cheeks flared up a tiny bit.

The older male slowly slid his tongue in, feeling around. Kanon shyly let their tongue's meet, clenching his shaking hands at his own chest and squeezing his eyes shut. Kanon turned his head to break the kiss, panting, his cheeks turned scarlet. George placed a light kiss on his neck, nipping gently at the pale, slick flesh and sucking lightly.

Kanon gasped out softly, arching a bit and bringing his hand up to his mouth to muffle some of the sounds. "G-George-sama…" he moaned out quietly, tilting his head back a bit more.

There was a knock on the door. Kanon gasped lightly, his eyes snapping open. His cheeks heated more. "Go into the bathroom," George whispered.

Kanon blinked, then slowly nodded, walking quickly to the bathroom. George opened the door. "Shanon-chan, how are you?" George said with a smiled.

Shanon smiled back. "Um… George-sama, have you seen Kanon?" she questioned, fiddling with her fingers at her chest.

He shook his head. "He came by earlier, but I haven't seen him since," he said.

She nodded. "Okay then. Well, if you see him again, p-please tell him that Shanon is looking for him," she said, giving a quick bow and trotting off.

George closed the door, then walked into the bathroom. "I'll request some clothes for you. After that, you should go meet Shanon-chan. She's worried about you," he said.

Kanon nodded slowly. "Th-thank you, George-sama," he said quietly, forcing his voice back into blankness.

**A/N: Shanon, I hate you… Your worrying spoiled the yaoi scene!!! . Stupid worrywarts…**


	4. Darkness of Solitude

**A/N: GOD DAMN IT! I HAD THIS ALL TYPED UP! AND NOW I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN!**

Kanon sighed quietly to himself. He walked down the hall. Shannon stopped in front of him. "Hello, Kanon-kun," she smiled, tilting her head sweetly.

He looked at her. "Hello, Shannon," he said blankly. "How are you?"

She blinked. "I'm fine… However, Hideyoshi-san seems to have been in a bad mood lately," she said, crossing her arms.

Kanon tensed at the mentioning of Hideyoshi's name. The blood rushed away from his face. Shannon blinked, uncrossing her arms. "Kanon, you look pale. Are you okay?" She asked, tilting her head to try and catch his eyes.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm alright," he said.

She blinked slowly, her eyes unbelieving. "Are you sure? Maybe you should sit down," she said.

He shook his head again. "Really, Shannon. I'm okay," he said.

Shannon looked down. "If you say so…" she murmured.

Kanon nodded. "I'm okay. Now, we should get back to doing our chores. There's a lot to do," he said, walking passed her.

Shannon followed her brother with her eyes, then looked away, her hand pressed to her chest. She walked off in the opposite direction.

Kanon stood alone in the dining room. He stared at the table. Rain could be heard pattering against the ground outside. He sighed quietly to himself, then started putting down napkins and silverware, refilling the vases with fresh flowers.

"Hello there, Kanon…"

The boy froze, his whole body stiffening. He didn't need to turn around to recognize that the voice belonged to Hideyoshi-san…

Slowly, Kanon turned to face him. The old man grinned. "Kanon-kun, I need you to help me with something," he said casually, walking over to him.

No fight was put up when Hideyoshi shoved him to his knees in front of him. Hideyoshi undid his pants. Kanon looked away as the man's flesh bobbed out in front of his face. He slowly looked up at the older man, then back at the flesh. He gave a hesitant lick to the shaft, then licked from the base, back to the shaft.

A low, shaky groan erupted from Hideyoshi. Kanon cringed slightly, but continued, licking the tip. Hideyoshi gripped the boy's hair and pushed the tip of his cock into his mouth. Kanon wanted oh so badly to pull away, but gave a light suck. He hated the taste. This was so wrong; so vile…

Hideyoshi gripped the back of Kanon's hair and pushed him down on his member. Kanon gagged, then tried to pull away, but failed. He whined as Hideyoshi pushed him further down on his cock, until his lips reached the base.

Kanon closed his eyes tightly, trying to put himself somewhere else. A different scenario. Winter forest. Summer fields. A waterfall. Everything kept going back to the scene he was ordered to take part in now. So instead, he started thinking of other people.

Maria-san… Jessica-san… Shannon… Back to Hideyoshi… Battler…. Hideyoshi again… Then George…

Kanon's cheeks tinted a light pink color as his thoughts came across George; thoughts of the sweet kiss shared less than a day ago.

He suckled lightly on the flesh, shoving thoughts of Hideyoshi out of his head and replacing them with thoughts of George. He pulled his head back up, sucking still and pushing back down. Kanon was brought back from his thoughts only when a warm liquid suddenly filled his mouth, pouring down the back of his throat where the head of Hideyoshi's member was lodged.

Hideyoshi let the boy pull away slowly. "Good… Now swallow," he said, laughing quietly.

Kanon did as told, slowly, coughing slightly as he did. Another laugh from Hideyoshi. The man pushed him to the side and walked off. Kanon landed on his side, then stayed silent for a moment.

The boy suddenly gagged again, then stumbled to his feet, dashing outside into the rain. He collapsed onto the pavement, then emptied his stomach on the concrete. He coughed, gagging and vomiting again. Panting, he curled up in the rain.

After a few moments, he slowly sat up, being careful not to churn whatever was left in his stomach again. He slowly made his way inside. Kanon went directly to his room, not even stopping to answer any of Shannon's questions.

As he got to his room, he shut and locked the door immediately and walked over to his bed, collapsing onto it. He sighed shakily. He hated this. Everything about it. How he was always played so easily. How he was powerless to do anything about it.

He glanced over at the nightstand next to the table. There was a knife on the plate, next to an apple and a loaf of bread. The usual meal for him. He blinked slowly, then reached out, grabbing the knife and knocking over the apple. Sitting up, he examined the blade. It was clean. It would be able to make very clean cuts…

Kanon looked down, placing the knife at his wrist. The blade was cool against his skin. He pressed it a bit harder to his flesh, then sighed, putting it back down. He rolled over, turning away from the nightstand that held the knife on it. "So what am I supposed to do…?"

He pulled his knees to his chest and shuddered, closing his eyes.

Shannon stood outside of Kanon's door, one of her hands pressed against her chest. "I wish…" Her finger tips grazed the door. "I wish you would let your sister help…" she murmured quietly.

She closed her eyes, then opened them and started down the hall way to George's room. She stopped, contemplating on whether or not this was actually a good idea or not. Shannon shook the thoughts from her head and banged her hand to George's door.

There was a moment's wait, and then the door opened. "Hello, Shannon-chan," George said, smiling kindly as always.

Shannon smiled back at him. "Eto… George-sama… I would like to ask you something, if that's alright with you…"

He smiled and nodded. "It very much is. Go ahead."

She smiled back shyly, then started. "Do you know why Kanon-kun seems so scared?" she questioned.

He blinked, his eyes going blank. "Er… not exactly…" he said, looking down.

It was the honest truth. (I imagine George to be naïve. I don't think he would believe his father would do something like that… Hideyoshi is his father, right? O.o) "Sorry. I wouldn't be able to help you there… Is something wrong with Kanon?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so… Well, he's been pale.. Like he's fearful of something… And he's been going out a lot… In the rain without an umbrella. I just thought I would check and make sure. See if you would know anything," she said with a concerned smile.

George nodded. "Do you know where he is now?"

Shannon nodded. "Yes… I saw him when he was coming in. He went to his room…" she said. "And now I'm even more concerned…"

He nodded slowly. "Okay, Shannon-chan. I'll see if I can do anything, okay?"

She nodded, giving him a smile. "Thank you, George-sama. It really means a lot," she said, bowing before running off.

**A/N: I'm trying to make the chapters longer… I swear… Would have made this one longer, but… I sort of had to rewrite it… Well, I got two more of the letters up!**


	5. A Cold 3 AM

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I know a few of you have been wanting this update!**

Kanon sighed, opening his eyes. It was three A.M. On the dot. Kanon stared at the clock for several minutes, watching as each minute didn't appear on the clock. "Is the clock frozen…?" he questioned, reaching his hand out to it.

He tapped it. Nothing. He sighed lightly, sitting up. He pulled the clock down on it's front so that the time was facing the desk. The dark haired servant looked at his black curtains. He blinked slowly, hearing the rain and the wind pound against the window.

Kanon stood, walking over to the window and pulling back it's shrouds. The glass of the window was covered in water, making visions of the outside blurry. "Timeless darkness… Is what everything feels like right now…" He voiced his thoughts aloud to himself.

With yet another sigh, he closed the curtains and returned to laying down in his bed. He shut his eyes, listening to the rain's lullaby. One that couldn't' put him back into slumber.

There was a soft knock on his door. Kanon slowly turned onto his side to face the door, then tossed his legs over the side of the bed. He moved over to the door and placed his hand on the knob, turning and opening it. He blinked, greeted by an invisible person. He went to close the door, but noticed at the last second a letter laying on the ground. He knelt down, picking it up and observing the red seal that held the envelope closed and the family symbol that was engraved on the letter. He blinked slowly, closing the door and opening the letter.

When he had opened the letter, he read the spirally printed letters on it. They formed a single sentence; one question:

"_Kanon-kun, what is your one wish?"_

"Beatrice…" he mouthed the name the signature read. "My wish…?"

With a shake of his head, he placed the half-sized sheet of paper back into the envelope and folded it shut. He stepped over to his desk and set the letter and it's envelope down on his desk. "I wonder what time it is…"

He decided to check his clock, though it had been broken for who knows how long. He turned it up, then stared at the 3 A.M timing. "Nope… Still broken…" he murmured.

A sigh escaped the raven servant's lips, and he grabbed his hat before moving back to the door. He opened the door as he slipped on his shoes. He placed his hat on his head before walking out.

He walked straight to the kitchen, not stopping. Not that anyone was around to stop him from going anywhere to begin with. Kanon walked through the dining room, pausing a moment to review yesterday's events. He shuddered a little, then continued to the kitchen, not wanting to lose his stomach.

Kanon paused when he reached the kitchen, gazing around to find the only other one in the kitchen was Gohda. Kanon blinked slowly, blankly. "Good morning, Gohda," he murmured, capturing the others attention.

He blinked, then nodded at Kanon in silence. Kanon closed his eyes, opening them again after a moment's notice. "Is something wrong, Kanon-kun?" he questioned.

The raven shook his head slowly, then turned and walked out of the kitchen. Gohda blinked, not fully believing Kanon, but returned to his cooking.

Kanon leaned against the wall, his face pale. He nibbled on his lips nervously. "Yo! Kanon!"

Kanon turned around to face the red head; Battler. Next to him, Jessica flushed a tiny bit. "Kanon-kun, are you alright?" the blond girl questioned, concerned.

Battler died out of the conversation, not wanting to interrupt or say anything he shouldn't. He slinked into the kitchen. Jessica walked over to Kanon, smiling as she made direct eye contact with him, then frowning when he turned away. "K-Kanon-kun… Is something wrong?" she questioned, hesitating for a moment. "A-am I annoying you?"

He blinked, then shook his head. "Not at all, Jessica-san," he replied quietly, then turned his back to skulk away from her.

Without thinking, she reached out and lightly grabbed his hand. He tensed up, immediately yanking his hand back with a slight flinch. His hat fell off his head. Jessica gasped, eyes shimmering a little. "K-Kanon-kun… Sorry…" she murmured, staring at him with wide eyes.

Kanon knelt down, grabbing his hat off the floor and striding off. Battler walked back out and blinked. "What's up with Kanon..?" the red head asked.

Jessica shook her head slowly, sighing hurtfully and taking a seat at the table. "I don't know…" she murmured out softly, her shoulders shaking slightly.

Battler cringed inwardly, looking off and scratching the back of his head.

Kanon panted, standing in a random hallway of the mansion. He leaned against the wall, shuddering. His hands made their way to his upper arms, one on each side. He started rubbing, feeling suddenly cold. He shivered again. "C-cold…" he murmured.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Kanon. The raven gasped out, tensing and pulling himself away from the embrace. He swung his hand around, only to have it snatched by another hand. Kanon froze, blinking quickly twice. "You said you were cold," George murmured, giving an awkward smile.

"George…-sama…" Kanon sighed quietly, letting his hand drop. He bowed down, his hands in front of him. "My apologies," he said softly before turning.

The older raven caught his wrist. Kanon froze again, then slowly turned. "Yes…?"

"Sit with me?" George requested.

Kanon blinked. "…? For…?"

"Just to talk. Maybe a glass of tea," George replied, giving a quick smile.

The servant blinked, slowly taking his wrist back when George's grip loosened up. "…Sure… Um… Where though…?"

George blinked, then seemed to contemplate for a moment. "My room," he replied. "If that's okay with you."

Kanon swallowed, then gave a quick nod. "That's alright…" the younger raven replied.

George smiled, then started walking. "This way," he called back.

Kanon blinked, then followed after him quickly, if only to catch up. He stayed a few steps behind though.

George batted his lids once, looking back over his shoulder. He stopped abruptly, causing Kanon to bump into him. Kanon moved a step back, then murmured a quick apology. The corners of George's lips curved up. "There's no need for an apology, but…" George's arm wound around Kanon's shoulder and pulled him up closer to George so that they were side by side. "This seems more appropriate for acquaintances…" He smiled down at Kanon.

Kanon stared up at him curiously. Though his face remained blank, his heart thudded quickly inside of his chest. He nodded slowly, looking back down. George laughed quietly, then started walking. The smaller male hesitated for half a second, then took his steps quickly, making sure that they were in time with George's.

**A/N: Well, it's longer than the previous chapters, but not as long as I had wanted it to be… Yay for plot line! I don't have plots a lot of the time so *Pats self on back* ^_^**

**Anyway, I don't have anyone out of character, do I? . I hate OOCness… I think I'm doing pretty good…**

**Well, luffles ya all! R&R!**


	6. Useless Servant Shannon

**A/N: Sorry I missed Christmas everyone!**

Kanon let out a peaceful sigh, setting down his now empty mug of tea. "Is it okay?" George asked.

Kanon's lips curved up quickly before returning to their mild appearance. "Yes. It's delicious," he murmured softly.

"In that case, would you like some more?" the yellow wearing other asked as he poured himself some more.

Swallowing the younger hesitantly nodded. "Yes… Yes please," he whispered out.

"You're so timid, Kanon," George chuckled and thoughtfully poured him some more Earl Grey tea.

The boy tensed a tiny bit. "I'm sorry…" he mumbled out, eyes darkening a hint.

"Don't apologize for such silly things," George said, his smile having yet to fade. "You shouldn't apologize so much to acquaintances."

Kanon nodded slowly once, though he was still puzzled. Acquaintances? Him? A piece of furniture? It didn't make sense. "Yes…"

George poured him another glass of tea. "Is there anything else I could get for you?" he questioned.

Slowly, Kanon shook his head. "This is enough," Kanon replied, picking up his newly filled glass and sipping it soundlessly.

George glanced towards the window a little ways away from the table they were sitting at. His attention was drawn back when he heard another light breath come from Kanon. He smiled at him, watching as he set his glass down. "You're relaxed?" he questioned, curious.

Kanon blinked at the question, then sighed lightly. "I suppose so.. .Yes…" he said softly.

"You give a dream-like sigh when you're relaxed. Or at least when you drink tea," George pointed out.

"…Do I?" Kanon blinked, feeling his cheeks heat even though no color came to them.

"You do," George spoke.

The soft pitter patter of rain against the window started. "Oh.. It's raining again," George murmured.

"It hasn't stopped raining for a while," Kanon pointed out lightly.

"It stopped raining about an hour ago… Guess that didn't last…" George pointed out.

Kanon put his head down, finding himself at a loss for words. "The rain is… Kind of depressing," George said quietly.

The boy silently agreed, closing his eyes for a moment. A moment later, he stood and bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'll see myself out now," Kanon said quietly, just loud enough for George to hear.

George blinked. "…Very well then. I'll see you at dinner," he said.

With a nod, Kanon turned and headed towards the door. When he opened it, George spoke, "And also, if you need anything, you can come see me."

Kanon paused, placing his hand on the side of the door. "Thank you," he whispered to himself and slipped out, closing the door with a gentle click behind him.

George stared at the door a bit longer before he decided to let out a breath he had unconsciously been holding in. He looked back towards the window. "I wish it would stop raining for a few more hours…"

Kanon looked outside from the hallway, blinking slowly. Deciding to give the crying sky no more attention, the turned from it and paced to the front of the house in search of Shannon. Just a bit of small talk with his 'sister' would be nice, just enough to distract him from the rest of his thoughts.

When he reached the front of the house, he was greeted with the large door; the entrance. He pulled a bit at the collar of his shirt, then sighed and opened the door, stepping out onto the stone porch. The clicking of water welcomed him. All the rain made the dirt around seem like a swamp.

He took a few steps away from the cracked open door, the reached his hand out to the rain. He pulled his hand back with a shiver. "Kanon-kun?"

Kanon stiffened, spinning around. Jessica lightly shut the door, looking slightly nervous from the reaction. "A-ahaha… I didn't mean to startle you," she said softly, forcing a grin.

Kanon let out a soft sigh. 'Only Jessica…' He straightened up. "It's okay, Jessica-san," he said, putting on his normal 'poker-face.'

She nodded, still smiling to the best of her ability. "Well… How have you been since this morning?" she asked.

The servant blinked slowly. "That… I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern," he answered politely.

"Ah, no, that's no problem. Just, wanted to make sure you were alright…" Jessica murmured shyly, scratching the bridge of her nose.

Kanon gazed silently, then bowed. "Also, I'm sorry for my previous actions. I didn't mean to lash out in any way. I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way."

When he straightened back up, he noticed Jessica stiffen. "That's… alright Kanon-kun. You don't have to apologize for such mild things," she murmured, lifting her hand to clench her opposite arm.

"But I caused you trouble this morning," he said.

"Kanon-kun, I said it was alright. I just… I was worried…" she half-snapped, putting her head down.

He stared silently. "Why would you worry about furniture…?" he questioned, his own words sounding dull to even himself for unknown reasons.

Jessica's head snapped up. Before Kanon had time to comprehend anything, his head snapped back from the force of a slap. Slowly, he turned back to her to stare, wide eyed with a forming red mark on his cheek. Jessica's form was stiff, her right arm extended as she had just slapped Kanon. Her form trembled a bit, her eyebrows furrowed with tears in her eyes. "Would-you-stop-saying-those-things?" she chopped out, then gritted her teeth. "That… has to be your most unattractive quality. The fact that you're able to admit that you're furniture."

Kanon bowed his head. "I'm so-"

"Don't! Don't apologize, Kanon-kun… It's pointless for you to apologize because there's absolutely nothing you should apologize for… I'm sorry I slapped you," she murmured, letting her hand drop to her side. "Kanon-kun… You're not furniture.." she mumbled out, her voice cracking a tiny bit.

Kanon paused, then nodded once. "Of course, Jessica-san."

The wind blew, causing Jessica to yelp and shiver, shrinking to protect her bare legs. Kanon let out a shudder himself as the breeze nipped at his open skin. "We should get inside," he said, hesitating before walking passed Jessica who didn't move.

He stopped when he was inside, glancing back at Jessica. "…Jessica-san, please come in soon. You'll catch a cold," Kanon spoke through the door way and the breeze before walking away from the door, leaving it open.

'_You're not furniture…'_ Kanon let the words echo in his thoughts one last time before letting them fade away into the back of his mind. 'I'll keep that in mind…' he thought, continuing on his way down the hall.

Shannon paced down the dining room. She was consumed of thoughts as to where Kanon might be. 'Where…?' she thought, then sighed and pulled out a seat to sit down.

She sighed softly. When the door to the dining room opened, she spun around to see who it was. "He-..! Kanon!" she gasped out, pacing over to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Kanon blinked at the tight hug. "Hello, Shannon," he spoke quietly.

Slowly, she pulled back. "I was so worried about you," she said, leaving her hands on his shoulders.

A quick, unnoticeable smile crossed his lips and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Sorry to worry you," he said.

"Are you alright now?" she asked, brushing her finger tips across his cheeks as a mother would.

He sighed lightly, silently leaning into the affectionate touch. "I am…"

Shannon let out a breath and smiled. "Good. I'm glad," she said. "Oh, also, Hideyoshi-san said he was looking for you earlier. He told me to tell you to report to his room before dinner while Eva-san was out."

Kanon tensed, paling some. 'Of course I shouldn't have expected to have such a perfect day…' he thought.

Kanon nodded once, groggily almost. "I guess… I should start moving on now then… Thank you for informing me, Shannon," he said quietly.

"Kanon, are you okay?" she asked, but didn't receive a reply.

He ignored her, pacing down the hall. 'This is sickening…' He thought.

When he stopped, he found himself in front of Hideyoshi-san's door. Swallowing, he shivered and knocked on the door firmly. "Come in!" he heard Hideyoshi call.

A brief thought crossed him mind; the thought to just run away and put this all behind him. But… He couldn't do that. He gripped the door handle and opened it. "Hideyoshi-san… You called for me?"

He slinked in slowly. Hideyoshi grinned over at him. "Ah yes, Kanon-kun. Close the door, and lock it behind you," Hideyoshi ordered, his expression hardening.

Kanon froze at the scorn that shown from the man's expression. He nodded once, closing and locking the door as told. He pressed his back against it. "Come here. Don't dawdle."

Kanon lidded his eyes half way, then closed them before walking over slowly.

Outside, Shannon rushed to the door. She swallowed, then gasped, hearing a crash. Her first thought was to knock to see if everything was alright, but went against it and pressed her ear against the door. 'Please forgive me for eavesdropping,' she prayed mentally, closing her eyes as her brow became moist with sweat.

There was a 'thunk' from inside. Shannon froze, holding her breath. _"Get up and bend over," _she could hear Hideyoshi order, along with a quiet whimper.

She nibbled her lip nervously. 'Hideyoshi-san, why do you sound so violent?' she thought, opening her eyes a little.

There was another thud, and the sound of something getting slapped. Shannon clenched one of her fists together, hearing Kanon's raspy cry of pain.

"_It hurts… St-" _Kanon started.

Shannon clamped down on her lip with her teeth, cringing. _"Shut up," _Hideyoshi snarled.

"_O-ow… Please stop…"_

She broke away from the door at last, holding her hands over her mouth and closing her eyes tightly. 'No… Hideyoshi-san was always so kind. So why…?'

Shannon stopped, shaking violently when her back hit the wall. Her eyes snapped open when she heard a sudden yelp and cry from Kanon. Her eyes watered a little, refusing to move from place. Her hands remained over her mouth in order to keep from screaming out.

Her hands slowly moved from her mouth. Slowly, she made her way back to the door. She gave a soft knock. "H-Hideyoshi-s-san…" she stammered out. She was sure only her herself could hear her.

She gave another knock, this time louder. "Hideyoshi-san," she spoke firmly, wiping away tears. "Is everything alright? Is Kanon with you?"

There was a pause, then a clear of a throat. _"Yes? What is it Shannon-chan?"_ he called out.

She sighed. 'Just my… imagination…?' she thought. "Is Kanon-kun with you?" she repeated.

"_No," _came the immediate reply. _"Why? Did you send him? I told you to send him, so you should go find him."_

Shannon shook slightly. "I-I will… But can I come in for a moment? There are things that I would like to discuss with you,' she said.

"_No, Shannon-chan," _he said firmly, almost choppy.

Shannon cringed, her heart sinking. "Please let me in. I know… I know Kanon is with you," she said.

"_Shannon leave."_

She froze at the tone used. She blinked her shock away. "Hideyoshi-san, please let me in," she said, knocking softly. 'Kanon, call out… please…' she thought, eyes wide and anxious.

"_I said leave!" _he snarled out.

She fell back a few steps. "But-!"

"_Don't ask questions. Don't make me come out there! I told you, he's not here so leave!"_

She paused, feeling as if her tongue had swollen up in her mouth. "K-Kanon! If you're there, call out for me!" She called.

"_I said-!"_

Hideyoshi was cut off. _"Shannon…"_

Shannon's heart skipped a beat. "Ka-" once again, she was interrupted.

"_I'm fine… So leave…" _Kanon rasped out,

With that said, Shannon stared at the door. "K-Kanon… I…" She put her head down. "Can't do anything… can I…?" she murmured, nibbling her lip some more.

"_Shannon-chan, please come back later. Kanon and I are busy right now," _came Hideyoshi's calm and light voice.

She glared at the door, or at least tried. 'How could you use that tone of voice with me now, you- you…' she thought.

Her head fell, eyes locking to the ground. "Y-yes…" she hiccupped. "I understand… sorry for bothering you…"

She turned her back to the door. 'Kanon, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to help you…' the thought swam like a river or tears.

Shannon awkwardly started trotting down the hallway, away from the room.

Shannon returned to the dining room. 'I shouldn't have let him go after seeing the way all life faded from his face,' she thought, taking a seat.

She glanced at the clock. It was about half an hour before five P.M and already pitch black outside. 'Four thirty… which means he's coming soon…' she thought, and as if on queue, the door to the kitchen opened.

"Ah, everything smells fantastic," George hummed out, walking from the kitchen.

Putting her thoughts aside, and forcing any ounce of sorrow down, she stood and bowed. "Good evening, George-sama," she said.

He smiled at her. "Good evening Shannon-chan," he said.

She looked up at him slowly and smiled. He blinked. "Oh, your eyes are red. Have you been crying?" he asked, cupping her cheeks.

She gasped softly, then smiled a soft smile and lightly pulled away. "It's just…. Everything seems so sad around here lately," she excused herself.

"Is it the rain?" George questioned, hugging her softly.

Shannon hugged back lightly and nodded before breaking the hug. "I guess…"

"Sit with me?" George asked.

She blinked, then nodded, unable to keep a small amount of pink from dusting her cheeks. They took a seat together. During the silence, Shannon decided to ask a question. "George-sama… You admire your father, don't you?" She made it sound more like a statement.

George blinked. "Of course I do," he smiled. "How silly… He's my father. Of course I'll admire and look up to him."

Her bangs shrouded her eyes while she smiled. "I see… How nice. I wish my father were still around…" she murmured softly, but truly, she wasn't thinking about that. She was thinking about the situation with Kanon. She saw only three options:

Tell George and ruin his perfect image of his father.

Tell Eva-san, whom probably wouldn't believe her and lash out.

Or…

She sighed softly, standing. "Thank you for the small chat," she said thoughtfully. "I'm going to go see if I can help Genji out in the kitchen."

He nodded. "Very well then. Good luck finding something to do," he smiled.

She smiled back nervously. 'I could never ruin that smile with bad images of his father…' she sighed at her thoughts, walking away and into the kitchen.

Genji glanced over at her. "Hello, Shannon," he said, turning his gaze back to the pot of steaming water.

"Hello, Genji. Is there… anything I can help with?" she questioned.

He glanced at her again, then nodded towards some carrots. "Chop the carrots into small pieces, please and thank you."

She gave a small smile, then did as asked. While she was cutting, her mind focused not just on keeping her fingers unsliced, but also on her third and possibly only option. Her eyes narrowed a little.

'_Beatrice…'_

**A/N: Wow, this was done perfectly. 6 pages exactly!**

**R&R!**


	7. Not Useless

**A/N: I always forget to put disclaimers… /doesn't really matter but will put them anyway.**

**I do not own any of the characters in Umineko no Naku Koro ni, nor do I own the anime.**

Shannon walked down the halls with a candle to light her path. Her footsteps made quiet noises in the otherwise silent hall ways. It was roughly 1 am. She wanted to make sure she wouldn't disturb anyone, and thus waited until she was sure everyone was asleep.

The servant girl traveled all the way to the front door of the house. She stopped in front of the Lady Beatrice's portrait. She closed her eyes let out a soft breath, placing her hand over her thudding chest. "Beatrice-sama," she called out softly.

There was silent, then a jittering sound. The lock on the front door turned, and slowly it opened, letting in one little golden butterfly and replacing the light of the knocked out candle wick. Her eyes opened slowly to meet with the golden butterfly that hovered right in front of her face. The butterfly suddenly burst into a bright gold light, and the Lady Beatrice replaced it. Along with Beatrice's arrival, the lights fluttered on to illuminate just the area around Shannon and Beatrice. "You called, dear Shannon?" Beatrice spoke softly, but bitterly with a wicked smile on her lips.

"I did, Beatrice-sama. I called to ask for assistance," Shannon spoke boldly yet politely.

"Oh~? Is that so? What, may I ask, has troubled you, and how could I be of help?" Beatrice asked lightly.

"It's.. Kanon. He's.. Well, there's someone in the house who has been cruel to-" Shannon started but was interrupted.

"Hideyoshi has been cruel to your poor adopted brother," Beatrice said for her, her smile keeping it's place upon her lips. Shannon blinked, then gave a hesitant nod. "Shannon, you're so kind, even to the worst people."

Shannon put her head down, her eye lashes hiding her eyes. Beatrice let out a soft laugh. "Is there.. Anything that you can do to help Kanon…?"

"There is," Beatrice replied.

The raven haired girls' head snapped up. "Will you?" she questioned.

Beatrice chuckled. "I will, but there's a condition," she said.

Shannon blinked. 'The conditions are always bad,' she thought silently, then bowed her head. "What is the condition, Beatrice-sama?"

The Golden Witch's lips curved up more. "You do the honor of executing the man."

She looked up, her eyes having widened a fraction. "But…" She started, then cut herself off. 'What about George…?'

"But what?" Beatrice asked. "You stopped talking. Do you have any concerns with the arrangements?"

Shannon was hesitant for a moment and then she gave a quick nod of her head. "Yes, Beatrice-sama. I will execute him.." she said, narrowing her eyes into a sharper expression.

Beatrice turned from her, her dress fluttering. "Very well. You will be delivered a special weapon for the execution of Ushiromiya Hideyoshi," Beatrice said before disappearing into a sudden burst of golden butterfly wings.

Kanon stumbled out of the room, grateful that he was at least able to get his pants on before then. "I will see you at dinner," Hideyoshi said before shutting the door.

The raven haired servant grimaced and caught himself on a wall. His legs shook a tiny bit. He could feel a warm substance leak onto his thighs. He nibbled his lip, then started to limp back to his room.

Upon turning the last corner to his room, he bumped into someone. "Sorry," he sputtered out quickly while catching himself against the wall corner.

"Kanon-kun?"

Kanon blinked, then looked up. "J-Jessica…" he murmured.

The blond girl stared wide eyed at him. "Kanon-kun, what happened? You're in shambles!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, y-yes… I should really get back to my room to change," he said, looking off to the side and attempting to make his way passed her.

Jessica put her arms out to keep him from passing. "Kanon-kun! Please!" she cried out.

Kanon shook, then collapsed under his own weight and onto his knees. He winced at the pain in his rear end. Jessica gasped and tried to catch him, but only fell down with him. "Kanon-kun are you okay? What's wrong?"

The raven servant's cheeks flushed over a little bit, and his head fell against her chest. Jessica blushed a tiny bit, but it soon disappeared. She placed her hand to his forehead. "Kanon-kun, you have a fever…!" she exclaimed softly.

Kanon's eyes fluttered a little before shutting.

Kanon shifted in his sleep. _"-anon-kun… Kanon-kun…!"_

Kanon's eyes flickered open slowly. He blinked, sitting up, then falling back. "Careful, Kanon-kun…!" Jessica exclaimed softly. "You have a fever. Rest."

She pressed a damp cloth over his, which helped to keep him down. Kanon groaned softly. "How did… I get here?" he questioned.

Jessica shifted. "You-you fell in the hall way. I called for help and George helped me carry you here," she responded, looking towards her lap.

Kanon tensed a tiny bit, then reclaimed his calm composure. "He didn't say or mention anything, did he?" Kanon asked, tilting his head to face Jessica.

The blond noble blinked, then shook her head. "N-no. Nothing but the usual reaction questions," she replied. Kanon hoped she was just talking about the normal 'What happened?' people would normally ask.

Kanon let out a soft sigh. 'That's a relief,' he thought.

"What did happen though, Kanon-kun? You seemed devastated at something," Jessica said softly.

Kanon tensed up a tiny bit, but made sure it wasn't noticeable. "Nothing.. I was just feeling dizzy and panicked a little," he half-lied.

"…Kanon-kun, I know you better than that… You don't panic so easily," she said, choosing her words wisely.

The raven swallowed, looking away. Jessica waited patiently in silence. He turned his head back to her, giving a reluctant smile that was more forced than anything. "Sorry, Jessica… I can't tell you right now. Maybe… Maybe another time, just, not now," he said, coughing softly.

Jessica's eyes shown over with a hint of melancholy, and she lightly grabbed Kanon's hand and kissed it softly. "Alright then, Kanon-kun. When you're ready…" She released his hand and stood. "Well, I suppose now is about time for me to leave. Get some rest, Kanon-kun." She gave a quick smile, then turned and left the room.

'Jessica is so kind…' he thought, then sighed, turning on his side and pulling the covers further over his shoulder.

He closed his eyes, but stirred restlessly, causing the cloth to move about beside his neck. The dampness from it felt good against his heated skin. He opened his eyes again after what seemed like hours, only to find out it had only been about ten minutes. "Time runs slow when you're trying to sleep…"

Kanon closed his eyes. He opened them a couple of seconds later when he heard a knock at the door. Kanon sighed and turned over. He really didn't want to get up. His head was throbbing. Despite that, he rolled his legs over the side of the bed and sat up slowly, as to not get too dizzy. He stood, placing his hand on the nightstand to keep him from wobbling backwards and then made his way over to the door. With a sigh, he opened it and tensed a little.

"Hello, Kanon-kun," George greeted with a smile. He was carrying a tray with two tea cups and a tea pot on it. "I thought I would bring you some tea to help calm your nerves."

Kanon blinked and sighed softly. He stepped out of the door way and said softly, "Please come in."

George gave a short smile and walked in. He placed the tray on the nightstand and sat in the chair Jessica had been occupying recently. Kanon followed behind him after shutting the door. He sat down on the bed and laid back against the back board. "How are you feeling?" George asked while pouring some Earl Grey tea in both of the glasses.

"Dizzy," Kanon replied quietly. He picked the cup up and said a quiet 'Thank you' before sipping from it. The warmth was soothing on his throat.

George smiled at him. "You're still so formal," he said quietly. "But it's gotten a bit better."

Still smiling, George reached his hand over while Kanon was taking another sip. He placed his hand on Kanon's head and rubbed softly. Kanon froze at the touch, his glass pausing at his lips. George blinked at the reaction and slowly slinked his hand away. "Sorry, you're probably not used to people touching you," he said.

Kanon put his head down so that his chin was at his chest. He set the cup back down. "It's fine," he said softly and settled back into the covers.

"I'll just get out of your hair then," he said, standing up slowly.

Kanon reached out and lightly grabbed George's sleeve. George blinked and looked down at him. "Kanon-kun?" he questioned.

"Ah…" Kanon reluctantly let go of his sleeve. "S-sorry, George-sama… But could I make a small request?" he asked, turning his head down.

George smiled and nodded. "Anything at all," he replied.

Kanon flushed a tiny bit, though it wasn't noticeable from George's view. "W-will you… Rub my head until I fall asleep…? Like before…" he said quietly.

George blinked at him, then laughed softly. "Of course," he said, reaching his hand out and gently placing it on Kanon's head again.

The raven servant sighed softly, closing his eyes. With each stroke of his hair, he fell into a deeper level of oblivion.

Shannon stared at her bed-side table for a moment. There was a Stake that laid in front of her. She picked it up. "Who?" she questioned.

Butterflies swarmed in through the walls and floors. The Stake transformed quickly, and black hair flooded over Lucifer's shoulder. Her hand was held by Shannon as she floated in mid air, more toward the ceiling. "Lucifer of Pride," she introduced. "I am here on Beatrice-sama's orders to help you take out a man by the name of Hideyoshi-san, correct?"

The maid gave a quick nod. "Yes," she said.

"Hideyoshi-san is headed towards the kitchen now. Nobody else is there," Lucifer said. "I'll get there before you, so make sure to lock the kitchen door behind you."

Shannon nodded, waiting for a moment while Lucifer disappeared into the wall. With a sigh, she turned and headed out the door.

Hideyoshi let out a soft sigh. "Interruptions…" he murmured, pushing the door to the kitchen open. He kicked the door shut.

He walked to the sink and grabbed a glass. He started filling it with water. He started lifting the cup to drink from it, then dropped it and spun around when he heard a loud crash from behind him. He cursed as the pooled glass and water that was now around his feet. A pan had fallen. "Is anyone there?" Hideyoshi called out while he used a handkerchief to clean the glass up. He didn't bother looking up.

Lucifer pranced around to the fallen pan and picked it up. She grinned a tiny bit, her eyes narrowing when she saw he wasn't looking at her. She drew her arm back and snapped it foreword, sending it flying towards him.

Hideyoshi let out a yell when the pan hit his head with a loud 'clanging' noise. The hit made him drop the glass. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath while holding his head. He turned to see nobody there.

A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He swallowed. A hand grabbed at his sleeve softly. He gasped in subtle surprise and turned around. He let out a loud roar of fright when he saw Lucifer's arm poking out from the sink and reaching around blindly for him. He backed away from the sink into the counter. The pots and pans that hung from the hooks started jangling together. Two arms came from two of the pots. There was a high pitched laugh as her fingers wrapped around his head.

He made a quick dash from them, yanking away his head.

"Hideyoshi-san?" Shannon called, walking in and locking the door as it shut.

"Shannon!" he cried out, stumbling over to her. "We have to leave!" His eyes were wide with anxiety.

She gave a quick, but sad smile and shoved the dagger into the side of Hideyoshi's head. His eyes widened a bit at the pain, but he didn't utter a word. He fell backwards, blood starting to drip from the side of his head. She looked away and sighed. "S-sorry, Hideyoshi-san," she murmured out.

"_Shannon-chan," _Lucifer spoke softly.

Shannon blinked, looking back with slightly teary eyes. Her eyes snapped open widely as the Stake pierced the left side of her abdomen. The Stake pulled out quickly, floating in front of her. "Lucifer… You…" she coughed, falling foreword and tripping on Hideyoshi's arm.

"_I made no promises and was not ordered to keep you alive after this," _Lucifer finished for her…

…Right before Shannon's head hit the corner of one of the counters with a stomach-churning crack.

Chiyo, the old woman, dusted the tables a little. She blinked over to the kitchen. She walked over, and then gave the door a little push. When it didn't budge, she gave it another push, this time with both hands. Her eyes widened a little and her face paled when she felt something warm and thick seeping through her slippers. Slowly, she looked down at the blood that had started running under the door and gave a loud scream.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long.**


	8. Images of Shame

**A/N: Thank you for love and support! Also read the most recent chapter of Armo. It requests for help from all of you, and I'd appreciate it if you'd give me some.**

**Much love : Russle**

Kanon sighed softly. It was morning. Light shined in through the cracks in the window curtains. He sat up slowly. He hadn't gotten perfect sleep, but it was sleep all the same. "The sun's shining," Kanon murmured.

He could still tell it was cloudy and rain was still dripping, but the sun seemed to be shining more today. He blinked his eyes quickly and stood. The raven servant reached for his hat, which had been placed neatly on the nightstand. He grabbed it and placed it on his head. "I should get to work soon."

After getting ready, he stepped out into the hall way. Kanon's back straighten and the hairs on his neck stood when he heard a scream coming from the kitchen. He looked down the hall. There was now silence.

"That sounded like… Chiyo-san," he said to himself, then started pacing down the hall to find his way to the kitchen.

"Chiyo-san?" the raven haired servant called quietly while entering the dining room. "What happened?"

A couple of seconds later, Gohda had arrived and stopped behind Kanon. "What happened?" he asked, though waited for no reply before descending over to Chiyo.

He knelt beside her, then grimaced noticeably at the blood that leaked from under the door. "What happened?" he asked again.

She covered her mouth and shook her head, closing her eyes fearfully. Gohda stood as Kanon took his place by the door. Gohda removed the key to the kitchen from his coat, then unlocked it. He opened his door. He let out a grunt and turned away.

Kanon's eyes widened a tiny bit. 'Hideyoshi-san…' he thought in silence, a smile cracking up the corner of his lips a hint.

His eyes traveled up the kitchen floor. The hint of a smile disappeared. "Shannon…" he breathed aloud.

Gohda stood, closing the door softly with a click. "We'll… Report this to Kinzo," the man said softly.

He brought Chiyo up with him. Kanon's gaze dropped to the ground. "Wh-what will we say to the children?" Chiyo said softly, referring to Maria, George, Battler and Jessica.

Kanon turned and started walking. What had happened? Why did it happen? Why to Shannon?

Continuing to pace down the hall, Kanon stopped abruptly.

"What do you think that scream was?" It was Jessica's voice. She wasn't just talking to herself either.

"Someone probably burnt themselves on the stove or something," was a reply from Battler.

Though Kanon couldn't see them, they were getting closer. He didn't know if George and Maria were with them. He didn't want to know. He opened a random door that revealed a dark closet. He closed himself in soundlessly. He checked to make sure it was closed. He hadn't heard the click.

The footsteps increased in volume, then disappeared down the hall after a while. With each of their footsteps, Kanon slid more and more down the door until he was sitting on the ground.

And then it was silent.

Kanon felt tears burning the corners of his eyes. He stopped breathing for a couple of seconds, closing his eyes and laying his head back against the door. 'Is this the kind of pain that Shannon felt?' he thought.

Other thoughts came. Who did it? Why did they do it? What of her fiancé? His thoughts came to a quick stop.

George… How would he react to this? Hideyoshi was his father. Shannon was his to-be-bride. The mixture surely wouldn't be very satisfying.

Kanon cringed at the thought, swallowing the lump in his throat and allowing himself to breathe once more. He stood from his seat on the closet floor and placed his hand on the knob, turning it.

His breath hitched as he heard footsteps. His hand came to a dead stop of the knob. As soon as the footsteps started fading a second time, he opened the door and peered out. He just barely saw a glimpse of George's yellow suit and cringed.

He stepped out and closed the door, staring quietly.

Kanon clicked his nails against his night stand. He couldn't stay in silence. Not now, at least. Jessica had stopped by earlier. She was teary eyed. Why wouldn't she be? But Kanon had sent her off politely. She seemed to have understood and left after giving Kanon a tight hug.

There was a knock on the door. He stood, rushing over. The raven opened it, and Chiyo stood on the other side. She seemed concerned, but more hurt than anything. "Kanon-kun, we've been asked to look after the children," she said softly. "Would you please go check on George-sama?"

He winced inwardly to himself. "Yes Chiyo. Thank you for telling me," he replied.

She nodded, then left without another word. Kanon stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He was anxious about seeing George, but at the same time, eager. Kanon started walking. He wondered while he walked down the hall, what George would act like now.

Kanon came to a stop in front of George's door. He raised his hand to knock. He paused and took a breath, then brought his knuckles to the door and knocked.

There was a moment of silence. The door opened. George glanced down. Kanon shrunk back a quarter of an inch. George was far from in a good mood, not that anyone would blame him. "Yes, Kanon-kun?" he said. His voice came as a dull roar. He was forcing himself to be polite, Kanon noticed…

"I…" he paused, then swallowed. "I was told to come check up on you," Kanon replied quietly.

George didn't attempt to smile, which discouraged Kanon. But he moved aside to let the young servant in. Kanon nodded his head in gratitude and stepped through the door.

When the door shut, Kanon slipped away from George's hard stare. He looked around. Nothing was destroyed, which means George hadn't resorted to breaking things to calm himself. "How are you feeling?" Kanon spoke after a moment.

George walked passed him and sat on his bed, pulling his legs up onto the bed. "How do you thi-…" George paused. "Not very well…"

Kanon glanced over, eyes narrowed a tiny bit in a common understanding. "George-sama… You don't have to strain yourself to be polite right now," Kanon murmured, not moving from the door.

George visibly cringed, and Kanon looked to the side. "That's the way I was raised," George muttered, his voice strained.

"And I was raised to put up with whatever attitude I'm given," Kanon replied fluently.

George glanced over, then crossed his arms. "Come here," he muttered.

Kanon paused at the tone of voice given. He couldn't place a finger on it. Reluctantly, the raven haired servant slid over to George's bedside. "Yes, George-sama?"

Royalty looked nervous. The atmosphere was thick. It was suffocating.

George reached out and grabbed Kanon's wrist roughly, taking the young servant by surprise. He pulled him over onto the bed, over his legs. Now Kanon was lying on his belly on the bed. "G-George-sama?" Kanon stuttered out anxiously.

George caught both of Kanon's wrist and pinned them behind his back. Kanon winced. "What are you doing?" the servant asked, his voice strained but not quite shaky.

"You said I didn't have to be polite," George muttered a reply. It sounded more like an excuse to Kanon.

The servant tensed as royalty's fingertips brushed along the belt line of his pants. "George-sama, please let me up," Kanon choked out, then let a breath out sharply as his pants were yanked down with his undergarments. He squirmed.

Kanon dug his nails into the palms of his hands. He could feel the other's breath on him…

George paused, tracing over Kanon's slightly bruised hips. Kanon shuddered, jolting away a little. He clenched his eyes shut, shivering a little while nibbling his lip.

He remembered Hideyoshi-san's hands on him. It made him feel dirty and used. It made the servant want to wash himself again…

"What happened?" George finally asked.

Kanon's eyes snapped open, feeling George's hands retreat. He quickly pulled his hands away and spun onto his back to face George, legs clenched together. Kanon could be compared to a frightened cat…

George stared curiously, then grimaced. "Sorry, Kanon-kun…" he murmured, sitting back up. "I lost my head.."

Kanon slowly sat back up, scooting away from George and pulling his pants back up. "It's… Fine…" Kanon murmured, though he wasn't really sure if either of them would accept that response.

The elder let out a quiet sigh. "Sorry," he said again. "I think… It would be best if you leave for now… I'm not thinking clearly."

Kanon swallowed, standing. He gave a quick nod. "Right… I'll stop by tomorrow, if that's alright with you…" Kanon murmured.

George nodded once. "Okay…"

Kanon reluctantly turned his back and left. When outside of the room, he pressed his back against the door. A small bead of sweat beetled its way from Kanon's forehead and down the side of his face.

His face burned with shame from thoughts of what Hideyoshi had done…

'I'm glad he's dead,' Kanon thought. 'But why did… Shannon have to go with him?'

**A/N: Thank you for being patient! ^^ Read and Review!**

**Sorry the chapter was short, by the way. I'll try to make the next one longer!**


	9. Tea Time

A/N: Thank you all for being so patient! Reviews make me smile, just throwing that out there. So, don't forget to review at the end! :D

Kanon sighed, not bothering to get up out of bed. He stared at the clock. 8:00 on the dot. Everyone would be up by now. Which meant he should get up soon. But he decided to wait for Shannon.. Well, now it was probably be Gohda.

He shook his head. No, Genji would most certainly be the one that came to get him up.

As soon as the clock flickered to 8:01, a knock on the door was heard. Kanon rolled out of bed, straightening his hair and putting on his hat before heading to the door and opening it, expecting Genji. But instead, he was greeted awkwardly by Jessica. He was surprised, but not too surprised. It wasn't shocking that one would want to come check up on their crush after such an experience.

"Hey, Kanon," Jessica said timidly, looking down at her feet as she hid her hands behind her back.

"Hello, Jessica," he said, bowing his head formally, not bothering to add the honorific.

"Umm… Are you just getting up?" she asked softly, glancing up at him. A bit of blush dusted her cheek, barely noticeable to even Kanon.

"No," Kanon replied. He had gotten up a while ago, just hadn't bother to get out of bed.

"Oh… In that case, would you like to take a walk with me?" Jessica wondered.

"I really shouldn't. I have to get to my duties soon," Kanon replied. "Thank you for the offer though, Jessica."

"Um… In that case, would you mind if I walked with you until then?" she questioned, rubbing the floor with the tips of her toes.

Kanon paused, then let out a silent sigh. "Very well. If you please."

She seemed to beam at this, but hid it quickly by coughing in to her hand. "My pleasure," she said, stepping aside for Kanon to exit his room.

When he did, he started walked. Jessica followed in suit behind him. The walk was silent.

They reached George's door shortly. Kanon paused as soon as his hand was raised to knock. It came down a split second later. He couldn't hesitate when Jessica was right next to him.

"I'll see you later then, Kanon," Jessica said, then waved goodbye before strutting off down the hall.

Kanon wasn't sure he heard her. He didn't say any words of goodbye back, his eyes glued to the door. His breath was caught in his throat. He shouldn't be so nervous, he knew, but was anyway.

The boy's heart thudded, and he drew in a breath sharply when the door opened.

George stood on the other side. He didn't look much better from yesterday: Tired, withered, only no red eyes or damp cheeks. Kanon gave a polite bow. "George-sama," he said, keeping his eyes locked with the ground.

A couple of seconds of silence before George stepped aside and spoke. "Come in, Kanon," he said.

Kanon's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. This seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. Or perhaps it was just Kanon thinking back to when Hideyoshi-san was ordering him around and making him do such… deeds.

Nonetheless, he straightened out his back and put on his best poker-face before walking in to the Royalty's room. There were two glasses of tea on the table. George sat on one end. "Sit and drink with me," he said softly, so much so that Kanon could hardly tell if it were an order.

With a single nod, Kanon sat on the other side. He waited for George to take a drink before he started himself. It was warm, but not freshly prepared. "I'm sorry," Kanon said softly. "Were you expecting me earlier…?"

George seemed caught off guard at the question, pausing his tea-drinking. Kanon bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking elatedly at this.

"No, it's fine," George replied, sipping his tea. "Did you sleep well?"

Kanon wiped the urge to smirk away. "..Yes," he replied after a second's pause. "Just fine…" It was a lie.

"That makes one of us," was George's only reply.

Kanon winced a tiny bit at the reply. Maybe he shouldn't have lied… "Has it been raining throughout the night?" the raven haired servant asked quietly.

"It has. Nonstop. Woke me a couple of times," George replied.

"Was that why you didn't sleep well?"

A shrug. "This and that. I could hardly get to sleep, really…"

Kanon lowered his head. "I'm sorry to hear that…" Kanon murmured quietly.

"Kanon, why did you come today?" George asked.

Kanon tensed a bit at the sudden question. He willed himself not to start with 'uuh,' or 'um'. "I came out of orders today, George-sama."

"That's all?" Royalty questioned curiously.

Kanon glanced up at him through his eyes lashes, sipping his tea. George certainly seemed to ask a lot of questions today… Kanon figured maybe the tiniest bit of flattery was an order.

"Actually… I also came because it's nice to have a little company after such an experience," Kanon said.

Flattery mixed with truth. Not giving either away, either. Satisfactory.

George seemed to think so as well. He sipped his tea and hummed softly.

A/N: UGHGUGUGUGUGH.. Short chapter, and it took so long! I'm sorry! _ I just REALLY needed to update with SOMETHING. Sorry times a million. Don't be afraid to give me ideas! :3


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